Blog

Treating and Living with a Pet with Cancer

Hearing your pet has been diagnosed with cancer comes as quite a shock. It’s one of the worst outcomes you could anticipate.

You may need to take some time to process this news. Whether that be talking to a confidant, a professional or self-care to adjust to a new reality. Consider your pet will pick up on your emotions, so it’s important you come from a place of calm, for their sake.

Here are some considerations to smooth the path ahead:

Research and educate

Take a realistic approach, underpinned by factual information and expectations. Do your research and get to know the condition your pet has been diagnosed with, how it is best treated, managed, what to expect and the terminology used. You could also do your research and find a Veterinary Oncologist or alternative ways to support the treatment plan.

Financial implications

Veterinary assistance, treatment and procedures do come with their costs. Hopefully, you will have a pet insurance plan and it’s able to assist you in these payments. If not, you may need to gain some quotes and consider how you might finance them. You may investigate options that include GoFundMe, credit companies specialising in vet loans, your financial institution, family or friends.

Routine and Treatment

Be sure to follow the prescribed treatments and medications to help your pet. Your family lifestyle may be impacted by the treatment plan; appointments, financial effects, pet’s diet changes, time and care of your pet at home, postponing family holidays. Keep your pet’s routine as continuous as possible to help them feel secure and happy.

Love

Stay hopeful and act from a place of love: choose love over fear, panic and hopelessness. Enjoy every moment you have with your pet. We are blessed to share our time with a beautiful furry friend. Try not to dwell on their health, follow the treatment plan and love your pet – it’s the best medicine you can give them.

If you need support, do not hesitate to reach out to our friendly team by contacting info@rippleaquamation.com.au

Getting A New Pet After Loss

Considering a new pet after losing your friend and companion brings an intense mixture of emotions and often remains a see-saw, rather than making a comfortable decision.

We knew when we welcomed a pet into our life, their lifespan would not be as long as ours, but we entered into it whole-heartedly, cherishing every moment. Despite this, returning to life without them is a lonelier place and our sense of loss may never go away.

Readiness to find a new pet is individual. Some prefer to liven their home with a new pet, while others take longer to feel ready to open their home and hearts to another companion.

Some gentle advice for you to consider:

Separate from the idea your lost love could ever be replaced or it would be disloyal. We are often lucky to love many pets during many phases of our lives. None can be replaced; they each bring a unique connection.
Avoid feeling pressured into the decision by others or your own expectations, take your time to prepare.
Consider the feelings of all family members in the entire process. Support those who may be hesitant or struggling, and be patient. The more support they receive, the better they’ll feel.
This includes your other pets who have just lost their companion. Consider how they may or may not adapt – are they ready, prepared or welcoming of new animals.
Be prepared for emotions to be triggered when you meet or bring your new pet home and be compassionate with yourself. It doesn’t mean you’ve made the wrong decision, take time to adjust.
As with people, each animal has unique likes, dislikes, traits and responds to environments and situations differently. Be open to welcoming the new, which may feel different when you have been used to one personality for a long time.
As we welcome pets with individual connections and personalities into our lives, honour them with their own name to suit their character, rather than repeating names of past pets.

If you need support, do not hesitate to reach out to our friendly team by contacting info@rippleaquamation.com.au

How to Say Goodbye to Your Pet in its Final Days

Sometimes the kindest thing we can do for our pets is to wish them goodbye.

You may never feel truly ready to say goodbye, but there are a few things you can do to make the process slightly easier and to have fun with your pet in their last days.

Spoil them.

Whether toys or treats, give your pet all their favourite things.

Maybe all this time, you’ve been careful with the snacks? Now they can have as many as they want! (Within reason, we don’t want them getting an upset tummy.)

Maybe you’ve withheld squeaky toys to save your ears. Now’s the time to let them squeak to their heart’s content.

Also, if your pet is feeling up to it, take them to their favourite place. This might be the beach, the park, swimming in the pool, or cuddling in your bed.

Savour your time.

Take a moment to be present with your pet. Pause and take a mental snapshot of their lovely face, smell, warmth, and how it feels to cuddle them.

Also, take lots of photographs and videos. It’s important to have mementoes to look back on to remember how much fun you had together in these last days.

Discuss funeral arrangements with your family.

It’s worthwhile having a brief discussion with your family about how you want to say goodbye after your pet is gone.

Once everyone is on the same page, you don’t have to worry about it anymore, and you can focus on your remaining time with your pet.

Ripple Pet Aquamation offers services that take care of everything for you, so you can rest easy knowing your pet is in safe, caring hands after they pass.

If you need support in this difficult time, do not hesitate to reach out to our friendly team by contacting info@rippleaquamation.com.au.

How to Care for Your Senior Pet

Enjoying our pets in their golden years is a special privilege. But as their age grows, we need to adjust our care to meet their changing needs.

Ripple has put together a guide to help you give your older pet care and comfort in their senior years.

Diet

Your pet’s digestive system, metabolism and nutritional needs change as they get older. Talk to your vet about whether any dietary modifications might be needed.

It’s important to make any adjustments in a slow transition, increasing the ratio of their usual food to the new variety over a period of time. Remember to monitor your pet for expected, or unexpected, effects of the diet change.

Activity

Over their lifetime, an active pet is a healthy pet. It’s important to help them maintain a level of exercise that meets their capabilities.

When they show signs of slowing or discomfort, it may be time to adjust their routine – speak to your vet about how you could modify their exercise to better suit them.

Just as it’s important for people to keep their minds active as they age, it’s crucial for senior pets to help prevent them from becoming senile or depressed. Don’t stop challenging your pets’ minds, developing new skills with new stimulation and lots of love and cuddles!

Check-Ups

After 7 years old, pets are considered ‘geriatric’, so it’s a good time to start scheduling regular vet visits.

This is an opportunity to talk to your vet about behavioural and physical changes which may be a normal part of aging, like vision or hearing loss, or indicative of a medical condition.

Your vet will monitor weight, appetite or thirst changes, toileting habits, signs of pain or limping, energy levels or change in mood. They’ll also watch for lumps and bumps, dental health issues and maintain their nails, which can cause problems for older pets.

The team at Ripple Aquamation has had the honour of sharing the memory of many beloved pets who have been well cared for into old age.

When you need support after losing a pet, or would like to learn more about pet aquamation, please do not hesitate to contact our professional team on 0478 782 782 or email info@rippleaquamation.com.au

Aquamation VS Traditional Pet Cremation

Saying goodbye to your pet is always difficult. At Ripple, we know that those who have lost a pet need a trustworthy and reliable team to help in the aftermath. For some, the first thought is to contact a traditional pet cremation company. However, many find pet Aquamation to be the better option once learning about the difference between the two.

Pet Aquamation, also known as water cremation, is rising in popularity as the preferred way to look after your pet after they pass away. Although Aquamation is less well known than traditional pet cremation, it is a much more affordable and environmentally friendly option.

Similarities Between Aquamation and Pet Cremation

Both traditional pet cremation and Aquamation provide you with the ashes of your pet.

Many choose to keep their pet’s ashes when they pass away to remember them by. Pet Aquamation and cremation provide you with the ashes of your pet in the vessel of your choice.

However, with Aquamation, you actually receive around 20% more of your pet’s ashes due to the nature of the process. Understandably, people want to keep as much of their pet as possible, whether to scatter the ashes in the pet’s favourite place or to keep. Therefore, for many, Aquamation may be the preferred option.

Differences Between Aquamation and Pet Cremation

Pet Aquamation uses a solution of water and natural chemicals to create the remains of your pet rather than fire.

The main difference between Aquamation and cremation is the process. Aquamation uses a specially made machine that uses a combination of warm water and alkali (a naturally occurring dissolvable salt) to break down tissue. Your pet is placed in a private chamber within the machine, and once the process is complete, the bones are dried and turned into ash, then returned to you. However, flame cremation utilises an extremely hot oven to break down the tissue rapidly, and the ashes from this process are returned to you.

Pet Aquamation is a natural process, mimicking the way the body returns to nature in the wild.

The Aquamation process is essentially the same as the natural process in the wild when an animal passes away and its body returns to the earth. Only, it is extremely sped up. However, pet cremation is based on the man-made processes of flame cremation and isn’t necessarily a process that would occur naturally.

Aquamation is more environmentally friendly than cremation.

Flame pet cremation releases about 200kg of greenhouse gases, compared to Aquamation, where approximately 20kgs are released. Greenhouse gases are harmful to the environment, and we should make every effort to reduce their effects.

Also, the amount of energy used to heat the cremation oven to the necessary temperature is far less than that needed for the Aquamation process.

In addition, the chemicals used in the Aquamation process are all-natural and non-toxic to the environment.

Ripple Aquamation services are more affordable than cremation.

Ripple’s Aquamation services are more affordable than most pet cremation services available in Perth. When your pet passes away, the last thing you want to be thinking about is finances. Therefore, pet Aquamation can be an easy, economical option.

Learn More about Pet Aquamation with Ripple

If you would like to learn more about pet Aquamation and determine whether it is the right option for your pet, please do not hesitate to contact the Ripple team on 0478 782 782 or info@rippleaquamation.com.au, for more information.